Today is January 6th, when my direct ancestor, a brilliant Military General Prince Muhammad Akbar Khan, out – manoeuvred and outwitted the British in Afghanistan Besides, birth of my closet school pal Sadiq Akbar, born on January 8th , yet my eldest son Aisam Effendi’s birthday falls on 16th January, while I myself born on the 25th , that makes the entire month of January, an eventful month especially in my life .
In 1842, the withdrawal of British Indian troops from Kabul began on this day. They had invaded Afghanistan without any provocation on false intelligence of King Dost Mohammed Khan, father of Wazir Akbar Khan, being accused to have joined the Russian exactly the way Iraq was destroyed on false intelligence of possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction .
The troops in Kabul were commanded by General Ephinstone whose humiliation the British tried to cover by accusing him to have suffered from health issues including , gastric poor urinary control and gout and considered him too old for command.
While in reality, the wayward English forces intoxicated with their military success began to consider themselves as the overlords of the freedom loving Afghans especially their nobility, something the Russians also did followed by the Americans, who all were humbled and humiliated by the Afghan fierce guerrilla style resistance to their economic, military or technological might through which they subdued the world .
So much so to humiliate Afghans, the Barakzai Princess Shah Jehan Begum , niece of King Dost Mohammed Khan, was kidnapped by the evil Lt. Col Robert Warburton that resulted into the Afghan uprising under Wazir Akbar Khan against the British, though Warburton survived the relentless cavalry chase by Akbar Khan yet the price the entire British Army later had to pay to Akbar Khan with their annihilation.
At around 9:30 a.m. on January 6, 1842, Elphinstone ordered 4,500 soldiers, 690 of whom were British mainly from the 44th East Essex Regiment, 2,840 sepoys and 970 Indian cavalrymen to march 140 kilometers to Jalalabad. British troops were stationed there to protect the Kyberpass, the route to safe India.
Elphinstone’s army was accompanied by 12,000 civilians, women and children. As soon as they left the garrison, they were attacked by Afghans. These attacks continued over the next few days.
On January 8 alone, 3,000 people lost their lives. Again and again there were negotiations between Elphinstone and the Afghan leader Akbar Khan. He promised safe conduct in return for hostages and money. However, safe conduct was never granted. The attacks in the snowy mountains continued.
On January 12, Akbar Khan even took Elphinstone hostage after he had already shot dead the British Political Agent William Hay Macnaughten with the same pistol gifted a day earlier to him amid his last desperate plea, “for God sake don’t kill me”, were his last words , to which Akbar Khan, reportedly responded, “your life is after our freedom and honour , either one has to die to let the other live ” . On January 13, at Gandamak, 65 British soldiers, the remainder of Elphinstone’s army, made their last stand and were killed.
In the afternoon, Doctor William Brydon, as depicted in the painting by lady Butler arrived at the fortress of Jalalabad, bloodied with sword wounds to his head and knees. He was the only British soldier to survive the march from Afghanistan. Upon being discovered by the British patrol Dr. Brydon, was asked where is the Army to which he faintly replied,” I am the army”.
A fantom in some heads still believe those who tried their luck in the past to either conquer or punish the Afghans lacked either military might , courage or determination. Lets hope Afghans are left in peace to rebuild their lives though poor but a proud nation as freedom has a price that everyone can not pay to live free in honour and with dignity .
